


Day 257

by MilevenIsEndGame



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Hopper Prison Life, Hopper Thinks El is Dead, Hopper blames himself, Hopper feels guilty, Mileven, Self Loathing Jim Hopper, takes place immediately following season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-12
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:46:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23611018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilevenIsEndGame/pseuds/MilevenIsEndGame
Summary: Hopper is an American prisoner in Kamchatka, Russia.  The nights are cold and lonely, and he has a lot of time to think about El and whether or not she is alive.  For the first time in his life, he relates to Mike and how agonizing it must have been for the year he called out to her every night, just hoping for a sign that she's okay.  Because that's exactly what Hopper finds himself doing now.
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper/Mike Wheeler
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32





	Day 257

March 19, 1986 - 9:00pm

It’s another cold and lonely night in Kamchatka, Russia. There are no windows; just four tiny concrete walls, and the smallest, most uncomfortable bed Jim Hopper has ever slept in. There are tallies marked on one of the walls; 257 in total. One for each day he’s been waiting in this miserable, lonely place.

Waiting, for what, exactly? A sign? A rescue? Death? Whichever comes first?

Worn out and aching from the day’s labor, Jim lies silently in that God forsaken bed waiting for lights out, and as usual, his mind mulls over all those questions and more, just the same as each and every night for 257 days now.

Why hasn’t she come yet? Why hasn’t she sent help? His one saving grace is knowing that she can find him in the void, but it’s been too long. He hasn’t even felt her presence. At least, he doesn’t think he has. How did that work for Mike, anyway? How was the kid able to sense her on those nights he called out to her? If he ever makes it out of this place… he’ll have to ask him.

If...

And then with a deep sigh, he resigns himself to the conclusion he came to many months ago. The one he doesn’t want to believe. The one that he puts to the back of his mind every time it rears its ugly head.

_ “My battery is low, but it will recharge.” _

She was weak that night. She was  _ so very _ weak.

_ “I can fight.” _

_ “Better than any of us. But right now, I need you safe. This thing is after you. It’s not after me. You understand? Hey! I need you to understand.” _

_ She nodded. She understood. And then Mike came. “Hey,” he said, “We should probably go.” _

_ The kid was right; they needed to leave Hawkins right away with Jonathan and Nancy and all the other kids. They needed to get to Murray’s house. It was safe there. Jim would take care of things here. _

_ El hugged Jim tightly and smiled the sweetest smile he ever did see. Mike helped her up and she began to walk away with him, but then Jim had a thought. “Mike,” he called. _

_ The boy turned around and faced him, and in that moment, Jim knew he was entrusting this kid with his daughter’s life. “Be careful,” he said to him. _

_ With a nod of his head, Jim knew that Mike understood, and he watched as the boy turned and walked away to join El. _

That was the last time he saw her. And loathe as he was to admit it to himself, it was the last time he ever saw her alive. That  _ thing _ came back before the kids made it out of the mall. And if Jim knew his daughter, he knew she fought with everything she had. But she was so weak that night.  _ So very weak _ .

El didn’t make it. She couldn’t have. That was the only logical explanation. If she’d made it, she would have found him in the void by now. She would have come. She would have sent someone. She would have shown him a sign. Wouldn’t she? 

But she couldn’t. Because he lost her. Just like he lost Sara.  _ God damn it! _ He’d let it happen again. Both of his little girls were gone, and it was all his fault. He wanted so badly to keep them safe, and he failed them.

Not for the first time, guilt sinks in as Jim thinks to himself this must be exactly what the Wheeler kid was going through all of those months. For a whole year! Calling out to her, not knowing whether or not she was alive, but hoping for a sign. Any little sign at all. And how did he repay him? He all but kicked him out of his house and forbade him from seeing his daughter. 

All those kids wanted was each other for what little time they had left, and now, she was gone.  _ His little girl was gone. _

Jim replayed these thoughts in his mind over and over again every single night for the last 257 days. It was agony; pure agony. And although it may be futile, he had to try again. At least one more time.

He wiped away the tears that had begun falling from his eyes, sighing deeply and clearing his throat.

“El,” he called out through his tiny, empty prison cell. “El, please, if you’re there… I need to know you’re okay. Please. C’mon, kid, just give me something!” He couldn’t keep the tears from running down his cheeks. “I’m sorry, El. I’m so sorry. I just wanted to keep you safe.”

And then, something extraordinary happened; something Jim hadn’t experienced once during all of his long days and nights in Kamchatka. 

The light above his bed flickered.

&&&&&

El rose from her bed with a start, eyes wide and gasping for air. The digital clock on her night stand told her it was 2:17am. She reached desperately with her right hand for the blue bracelet that had become a permanent fixture on her left wrist. Fidgeting with it had become somewhat of a coping mechanism over the last year, especially when she was missing Hop. Like right now.

Her breathing calmed as the realization set in. She’d been in the black inky void, like so many times before. He was there. He was much smaller than she remembered, and he had a shaved head just like hers used to be. Before… And also, he was crying. But none of it was real.

It was Day 257. And still, after all this time, her powers hadn’t returned. El hadn’t really seen Hopper in the void at all; it was only a dream. 

_ Or so she thought... _

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hi, friends! I hope you enjoyed this mini-fic! It's my first publication since July of last year, so it's definitely a labor of love, no matter how short it is. I wrote this for my friend Maddie, and in honor of David Harbour's birthday this weekend. 
> 
> Please note that Hopper never knew El lost her powers; she was weakened when he last saw her, but he didn't know she was powerless. We found out she lost her powers after Hop had gone to the mall's basement with Joyce and Murray. 
> 
> I have a very strong feeling that we'll start season 4 with Hop doing exactly what he's doing in this fic; very much believing El has died.
> 
> Please shower me with kudos if you liked this story and let me know what you thought in the comments. Greatly appreciated! <3


End file.
